Israel’s Parliament passed two laws on Monday that could threaten the work of UNRWA, the main U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, by barring its operations in the country. In doing so, Israel defied calls from the Biden administration, which has warned that the legislation could prompt an even greater humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Most of the laws’ provisions will not take effect for three months, and their full legal ramifications were not immediately clear. But they could hobble UNRWA’s work in Gaza, where the relief agency has played a critical role in coordinating desperately needed humanitarian aid.

Israel has criticized UNRWA for decades, arguing that its work aiding Palestinian refugees and their descendants further perpetuated the longstanding territorial conflict with Israel. The Israeli government has accused a handful of the agency’s 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel last year that triggered the war.

The legislation passed on Monday night had the potential to push the agency’s operations into precarious and uncharted territory.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is under pressure from Israel’s allies, including the United States, not to move against the agency, and it was unclear how or whether the law would ultimately be implemented.

However, he has consistently excoriated the agency in the past, and hours after the bills passed, his office released a statement that said: “UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable. Since avoiding a humanitarian crisis is also essential, sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future.”